Key Takeaways
- Ecobee is ending support for old devices, limiting functionality but offering a 30% discount on newer models for affected customers.
- Support for older Ecobee devices will be cut off from cloud services, firmware upgrades, and troubleshooting after July 31, 2024.
- Despite competition, Ecobee continues to update newer models and expand into security systems, maintaining a solid position in the smart home market.
As of July 31, 2024, smart home giant Ecobee is terminating support for two of its oldest devices, according to an official update from the company. These include the Ecobee Energy Management System (EMS), but more significantly 2008’s Ecobee Smart Thermostat, which was the world’s first connected thermostat — predating even the Nest Learning Thermostat by three years. Ecobee released in 2010 and designed it strictly for commercial buildings.
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Both devices will continue to control HVAC systems after July 31, but only via on-device input, like any other thermostat. Ecobee is shutting off their access to cloud servers, and will no longer issue any firmware upgrades. Losing the cloud also means they’ll no longer have access to weather, HomeIQ, and System Monitor functionality, as well as any integration with third-party platforms. Support staff will no longer be able to troubleshoot any problems if you contact them, the company says.
The Verge reports that to compensate for the inconvenience, Ecobee is offering affected customers a 30% discount code off newer models, up to a limit of 15 thermostats. People who don’t receive an email with a discount code can contact the Ecobee support team for help.
Ecobee
How does Ecobee’s support stack up?
The company’s support windows are actually unusually long for the tech industry. Apple, for instance, labels all its electronics “vintage” after five years and “obsolete” after seven, the latter meaning it won’t even sell repair parts to service providers, except perhaps batteries for some Macs. Microsoft is planning to end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, a little over 10 years after its debut. Windows 8 support wrapped up in January 2023 (there was no Windows 9).
Smart home accessories are a different beast, since they’re competing with “dumb” accessories that can potentially last for several decades. Ecobee made a major platform shift with 2014’s Ecobee 3, however, which it continues to update. That model added support for Apple HomeKit alongside Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. The company’s latest thermostats are the Smart Thermostat Premium and Smart Thermostat Enhanced. It has also branched out into security systems, selling options like cameras and doorbells.
Apart from the Ecobee 3, the company’s oldest thermostats still being supported are the EMS SI and 2012’s Smart SI, the second a direct successor to the original Smart Thermostat. That one faced tough competition from Nest, which became extremely popular around the same time — in 2014 Google bought Nest Labs for $3.2 billion, and by the end of 2019, the Nest brand had been transformed into Google Nest. Competition has actually intensified, with rival offerings by brands like Amazon, Emerson, Honeywell, and General Electric, although Nest and Ecobee are typically considered the market’s best options. Pre-built smart homes may sometimes come with those brands pre-installed, in part because they’re compatible with any device a homeowner might bring to the table.